Vault lowering device



May 27, 195s J. H. MOORE Erm.. 2,835,956

VAULT LOWERING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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FIG. 2..

CHARLES T. WooTEN '8W/J /f May 27, 1958 J. H. MOORE Erm. 2,835,956

vAUL'r LowERING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1954 s sheets-sheet 2 33 -O Flc-a. s.

INVENTOR. JACOB HAL MOORE CHARLES T. WOo'rEN May 27, 1958 .3. H. MOORE Erm. 2,835,956

AVUL'J' LOWERING DEVICE Filed NOV. 5, 1954 3 Sheets-$11661', 5

FIGJI. 3y

INVENTQR. JACOB HAL. MOORE CHARLES T. Woo-VEN United States Patent A 2,835,956 Patented May 27, 1958 .free

VAULT LOWERNG DEVICE Jacob Hal Moore and Charles T. Wooten, Aurora, Mo.

Application November 5, 1954, Serial No. 467,004

8 Claims. (Cl. S27- 32) This invention pertains to a device for handling a burial vault at the grave and for lowering the casket into the vault and the vault into the grave.

An object of this invention is to provide such a device which provides means for carrying out in a simple manner all of the operations for handling a vault and a casket at the grave at the time of the funeral services.

Another object is to provide such a device which will not only handle the vault and casket at the grave, but which may be used to transport the vault from a truck which brings it to the cemetery to the grave.

Another object is to provide such an apparatus which may be stripped of most of its conspicuous mechanical parts during the funeral services so that the apparatus when set up at the grave may oer a presentable appearance.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an apparatus embodying this invention, showing most of the handling apparatus assembled thereon;

Fig. 2 is an end View of the same with a vault and casket thereon;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the apparatus with a vault in place thereon;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section on line 6-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a bottom View of one end of one of the roller carriers on line 7*7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail section on line 8 8 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 9 is a plan View of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an elevation of one end of part of the hoisting apparatus, as viewed about on line 11i-11i of Fig. l;

Fig. 11 is a side view similar to Fig. 3 showing the casket in place;

Fig. 12 is a detail section somewhat enlarged, taken on line 12-12 of Fig. ll;

Figs. 13 and 14 are perspective detail views of the ends of the casket placers;

'Fig 15 is an enlarged detail section of the portion of the hoisting apparatus shown in Fig. 10;

Fig. 16 is a section on line 11S-16 of Fig. 15; and

Fig. 17 is a section on line 17-17 of Fig. 15.

Referring to the drawing, the main portion of the device comprises a carriage, indicated generally at 1, having a frame comprising side bars 2 and 3 and end bars 4 and 5. The side bars 2 and 3 may be made in telescoping sections in a well known manner so as to be extensible.v The frame 1 is carried by a series of ground wheels 6 journaled in swivel bars in upright frame sections 7 on the end bars 4 and 5. Mounted on the fork of each wheel is a circular flange 3 having a series of spaced perforations 9. Rigidly xed on the section 7 is an arm 10 in which a pin 11 is movable. The pin 11 is arranged for insertion into one of the perforations 9 so as to lock the swivel action of the wheel 6 when the frame has been placed in position over the grave.

Iournaled in upright supports 12 on the bars 4 and 5 are casket rollers 13. These rollers extend along the bars 4 and 5 respectively so as to receive a casket which may be rolled on to the frame from one end. Removably mounted near the middle of the frame 1 is a bridge section 14 also carrying a casket roller 15 similar to the rollers 13.

Removably mounted to span the bars 2 and 3 of the frame and shiftable to different positions along said bars are additional bridge sections 16 in the form of angles having upstanding ilanges 16', each provided with a casket roller 17 similar to the rollers 13 and 15, and aligned therewith horizontally so that a casket may be rolled on to the frame by these rollers.

When the carriage has been positioned above the grave, a ground-supported off-grave frame consisting of standards 13 and a bar 19 supported thereby is placed on the ground adjacent the carriage and uniformly spaced from one of the side bars such as 3. The standard 18 may have pedestals 2i? adapted to provide a solid support on the ground. Arranged to span the interval between the bar 19 and the bar 3 are two track sections 21 having upstanding ilanges 21. As shown in Figs. l and 9, the track sections 21 are located with their anges 21 in alignment with the anges 16'. For this purpose, the end of the section 21 is bifurcated, providing two spaced fingers 22 which are curved so as to rest upon the bar 3 to be retained thereon by their curvature and the weight on the section 21. The section 16 is formed with a similar finger or curved base 23 which rests upon the bar 3 between the fingers 22, whereby the section 21 is placed in alignment with the section 16.

In order to carry the vault dome, a pair of roller carriers is provided as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This may be formed of a pair of angle iron side bars 2S secured in spaced relation by suitable spacer studs 26. Near the ends of the bars 25, rollers 27 journaled on pins 23 are mounted between the bars 25. One of these roller carriers may be placed upon each one of the tracks 16 to receive the vault dome, as will be more particularly described later.

In order to facilitate the handling of the vault and the casket, the frame is provided at its ends with upright sockets 2% in which gear headers may be removably mounted. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, each of these gear headers comprises a pair of uprights 30 arranged to be set in the sockets 29 and to be held upright thereby. The uprights 30 are joined at their tops by a tubular cross member 31. Housed in the cross members 31 are winding shafts 32. Mounted on the ends of these cross members 31 are gear boxes 33 in which are mounted suitable worm gears on the shafts 32. The worm shafts of these gears are connected by an extensible rod 34 in the usual manner and provided at one end thereof with a crank. handle 35. E ach of the winding shafts 32 is provided with a pair of helical grooves 61 and 62, one near each end of the shaft and each adapted to receive a hoisting cable 63 which is wound in the groove 61, the end being secured to the shaft in any usual manner. Of the two helical grooves 61 and 62 on each shaft, one is a right-handed helix and the other a left-handed helix, and the cables are wound in these grooves as indicated in Figs. 2 and 15, so that as the cabies are wound up on the shafts, the upright ends approach each other and conversely as they are unwound from the shafts, they separate from one another. In this way, the suspended casket or vault is maintained centered over the frame 1.

In order to prevent fouling of the cables 63, each one is covered by a sleeve 36 which surrounds the shaft 32 and the Winding cable thereon. -This sleeve is'forrned with a slot 37 extending therealong .and engaging a pin 38 on the shaft 32.. This pin causes .the sleeve to rotate withthe shaft but the slot- 37 permits movement of said sleeveV along the shaft. -Adjacent the ends of the sleeve 36 areV collars 39 and 40. These two collars are joined by a longitudinal connecting bar 41. The collar et? has a notched opening 42 through which theend of the cable 63 passes. The tube 31 has a slot formed therein opposite each one of the helical grooves 61 and 62, the tube Wall defining one side of the slot being formed into a lip 43. The connecting bar 41 is Yconfined in this slot so that the collars .E9-and 49 do not rotate with the shaft but move therealong in response to the movement of cable 63 as it leaves the shaft and comes out through notched opening d2, the collars 39 and 4t? causing movement of the sleeve 36 so as to keep pace with the change of position of the Ydepending end of the cable 63. This end of the cable also passes downward through the slot formed under the lip 43. This arrangement insures against any possibility of fouling of the cables, Whether they are under load or simply hanging free.

This mechanism is adapted for carrying out the following procedurefor handling a vault and casket before, during and after the funeral services at the grave:

First, when the vault is broughtV to the cementar usually on a truck, the carriage 1 may be moved up to the truck and the vault deposited thereon. In order to receive the vault, the bridge sections 16 are put in place. The carriage may then be rolled on itsV wheels 6 to the grave, and when properly positioned over the grave, the wheels are locked by engaging the pins 11 with one of the perforations 9 in'each of the wheels. The gearheaders may then be set into the sockets and the gears --Y- f assenso suitably connected by the rod 34. In this description, it

is assumedthat a vault of the type having a iiat base and a dome is used.V Obvious modifications of procedure will take care of the type in which a box form of vault with a top lid'is provided.

, When the carriage has been placed above the grave, a pair of chains 44 (see Figs. 2 and 3) is passed under the base of the vault and hooked onto hooks 45 on theends of Vthevcables 63, The vault is first lifted slightly and the bridge sections 16 removed. The vault is then lowered until the base Yis at a desired level, usually about ground level. The chains 44 are then-hooked on to hooks 46 which are hung on the side bars 2 and 3 and the chains are released from the hooks 45. The hooks 45 are then Y engaged with the lifting shackles usually supplied onuthe dome of the vault. The dome is then lifted off of the base and raised until the bridge sections 16 can De-'replaced thereunder. The bridge Vsections 21 .are also put in place and the roller carriers are placed on'thev rails 16' so as to receive the vault dome, which is then lowered on tothe roller carriers. The cables 63 are then Vunhooked and the dome is pushed back, rolling on the rollers 27 from the bridge sections 16 to the bridge sections 21. This positions the dome to one side of the grave where it remains during the funeral services. The roller carriers are locked in this position by pushing down a latch member 65, slidably/mounted on the .id of each carrier, into a notch 66 in the end of the rail 21', Figs. 7 and 8. The gear-headers are then removed and'set aside, and the middle bridge section 14 is put in place.` The setup is now ready forithe funeral service.V The weight 'of the dome on the bridge sectionsV 21 anchors thel main frame 1"to the ground to hold it steady during the service.

When the casket arrives, it is moved upon the carriage from one end thereof by placing it on the rollers 13, 17

and 1S, Vand is rolled until it rests in a central position over the grave.n 1 Withthecasket 'in this position, a pair of casket placers 47 and 48 (Figs. 11 and 12) are placed one on each side of the casket. These are rods which are extensible in the usual way by telescoping. AThe rod 47 is provided at its ends with loops 49 to which webs 5l? are permanently attached. The rod 48 is equipped at each end with a pair of prongs 51 upon which the webs are looped, as shown When the casket is to be lowered, the gear-headers are again set up in the sockets 29 and connected by the rod 34. The hooks 45 are hooked into eyes 52 in the ends of the casket placers. The hoisting shafts are now operated to raise the casket, which is carried by the webs 50. When the casket has been raised, the bridge sections 14 and 16 are removed. The casket is then lowered on the webs 50 until it rests upon the vault base as suspended below the carriage. The casket usually rests upon blocks on' the base sothat the webs 54B may be freed from the prongs 51 as soon as the Weight of the casket is'removed therefrom and the webs are then drawn out and the casket placersremoved. n

The bridge sections 15 are then replaced in alignmentV with the sections 21 and the Vvault dome is rolled back on to the carriage. The hooks 4-5 are again engaged with the lifting shackles on the dome, the latter is lifted and the Vbridge sections 1&5 Vrernoved,'aftcr which the dome is lowered upon thebase and so as .to enclose the, casket. At this point, the dome may be sealed to the base. The hooks 45 are Vnew Vengagedwith the ,chains 4f, which are then disengagedfrom the hooks 46 so that the entire vault with the contained casket is suspended from the cables 63. These cables are now payed out so as to lower the vault into the grave. When it reaches the bottom,Y the chains d4 are disengaged from the hooks "55 at one end and drawn out. The entire apparatus may now be hauled away and the grave filled.

it will be seen, therefore, that this invention provides an apparatus by which a vault and casket may be handled at the grave in such a manner that only simple operations are involved,.and which are easy to carry ont.

Various changes may be made inthe details of construction, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention. Parts of the invention may be used without the Whole and improvements may be added while retaining some or all of the advantages of the invention.

We claim: v l. A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a carriage having a frame `including Sideand end-bars, ground wheels supporting said frame, gearheaders removably mounted on the ends of said frame', said gear-headers having hoisting cables 'and cable-'winding shafts therefor supported above said frame and gear drives for said shafts, removable bridge members spanning said frameV and each having a track thereon, a groundsupported olf-grave -frame positioned along one of said side `bars but spaced therefrom, removable track sections mountable between said one of saidside bars and vsaid off-grave frame each in alignment with one `of said bridge members, and carrier means having rollers running on said tracksV and track sections adapted to receive the vault dome.

V25A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a carriage having a frame including side-V and end-bars, ground wheels supporting said frame, gearheaders removably mounted on the ends of said frame, said gear-headers having hoisting cables and cable-winding shafts therefor supported labove said frame and geardrives for said shafts, casket rollers mounted on said end bars, removable track sections spanning said frame and supported on said side bars, casket rollers on said sections and lianges on said sections providing tracks and removable track sections mountable between said one of said side bars and said oi-grave frame in alignment with said first track sections.

3. A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a carriage having a frame including sideand end-bars, ground wheels supporting said frame, gearheaders removably mounted on the ends `of said frame, said gear-headers having hoisting cables and cable-winding sha ts therefor supported above said frame and geardrives for said shafts, casket rollers mounted on said end bars, a removable bridge section spanning said frame and supported on said side bars, a casket roller on said bridge section, and a pair of casket placers supported by said frame and having casket-supporting bands permanently secured to one of said placers and releasably secured to the other, said placers including rods extending along the sides of said frame and having attachments for said cables, whereby `a casket resting on said bands may be lifted by said cables and thereafter lowered thereby through said frame.

4. A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a carriage having Va frame including sideand end-bars, ground wheels supporting said frame, gearheaders removably mounted on the ends of said frame, said gear-headers having hoisting cables land cable-winding shafts therefor supported above said frame and gear drives for said shafts, each of said shafts having formed therein a helical groove in which one of said cables is wound, a retaining sleeve covering the wound portion of said cable and loosely mounted to rotate with said shaft but movable therealong, and a pair of non-rotating collars, one abutting each end of said sleeve, `a connection between said collars, one of said collars being provided with an opening through which the cable extends, whereby said cable moves said collars which in turn move said sleeve along the shaft.

5. A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a carriage having a frame including sideand end-bars, ground wheels supporting said frame, gearheaders removably mounted on the ends of said frame, said gear-headers having hoisting cables and cable-winding shafts therefor supported above said frame and gear drives for said shafts, each of said shafts having formed therein a helical groove in which one of said cables is wound, a retaining sleeve covering the Wound portion of said cable and loosely mounted for rotation with said shaft but movable therealong, a pair of collars, one `of which abutting each end of said sleeve, a bal connecting said collars, means engaging said bar to prevent rotation of said collars, one of said collars being provided with an opening through which the cable extends, said cable engaging the last said collar upon Winding and unwinding of the cable in said groove, whereby to move the collars and hence the sleeve Ialong the shaft.

6. A device for handling burial vaults 4at the graveside, comprising, a frame including side and end bars and ground supports for supporting said frame above the grave, removable bridge members spanning said frame and each having `a track thereon, a ground-supported ott-grave frame positioned along one of said side bars but spaced therefrom, removable track sections mountable between said one of said bars and said o-grave frame each in alignment with one of said bridge members, and carrier means having rollers running on said tracks and track sections adapted to receive the vault dome.

7. A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a frame including side and end bars and ground supports for supporting said frame above the grave, removable bridge members spanning said frame and having a track thereon, a pair of standards having pedestals for supporting them in upright position on the ground, a horizontal bar supported on said standards in parallel relation to one of the side-bars of said frame, removable track sections mountable between said one of said side bars and said horizontal bar each in alignment with one of said bridge members, and carrier means having rollers running on said tracks and track sections adapted to receive the vault dome.

8. A device for handling burial vaults at the graveside, comprising, a frame including side and end bars and ground supports for supporting said frame above the grave, removable `bridge members spanning said frame and each having a track thereon, a ground-supported ottgrave frame positioned along one of said side bars but spaced therefrom, removable track sections mountable between said one of said bars and said off-grave frame each in alignment with one of said bridge members, and carrier means having track followers engaging said tracks and track sections adapted to receive the vault dome.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,963,267 Harder et al. lune 19, 1934 2,008,444 Goodsman July 16, 1935 2,112,286 Haase Mar. 29, 1938 2,205,057 Brady lune 18, 1940 2,262,937 Holmes Nov. 18, 1941 

